By Sonia Oxley

(Reuters) – European heavyweights Chelsea and Benfica reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday and were joined by lesser lights FC Basel and Fenerbahce who made the last four of a continental competition for the first time.

European champions Chelsea grabbed a spot in Friday’s draw with a 5-4 aggregate win over Rubin Kazan despite going down 3-2 on the night in Moscow, while Benfica scored in stoppage time to draw 1-1 at Newcastle United for a 4-2 aggregate victory.

April 11 (Reuters) – European heavyweights Chelsea and Benfica reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday and were joined by lesser lights FC Basel and Fenerbahce who made the last four of a continental competition for the first time.

European champions Chelsea grabbed a spot in Friday’s draw with a 5-4 aggregate win over Rubin Kazan despite going down 3-2 on the night in Moscow, while Benfica scored in stoppage time to draw 1-1 at Newcastle United for a 4-2 aggregate victory.

April 11 (Reuters) – European heavyweights Chelsea and Benfica reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday and were joined by lesser lights FC Basel and Fenerbahce who made the last four of a continental competition for the first time.

European champions Chelsea grabbed a spot in Friday’s draw with a 5-4 aggregate win over Rubin Kazan despite going down 3-2 on the night in Moscow, while Benfica scored in stoppage time to draw 1-1 at Newcastle United for a 4-2 aggregate victory.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – English clubs need to give homegrown players more of a chance because a sanitised approach to youth football is failing to prepare the next generation for first team action, according to former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

Neville, part of a golden era of United youth products, said promising youngsters seemed to be being lost because they were not given the same chance he had as a teenager to play alongside some of the best players.

MANCHESTER, England, April 11 (Reuters) – English clubs need to give homegrown players more of a chance because a sanitised approach to youth football is failing to prepare the next generation for first team action, according to former Manchester United defender Gary Neville.

Neville, part of a golden era of United youth products, said promising youngsters seemed to be being lost because they were not given the same chance he had as a teenager to play alongside some of the best players.

MANCHESTER, April 11 (Reuters) – Spain hopes to follow the Premier League’s lead and introduce goalline technology inside two to three years, La Liga chief executive Francisco Roca said on Thursday.

The English top flight adopted the British Hawk-Eye system on Thursday and will use it from next season while world soccer’s ruling body FIFA has approved German-based GoalControl for this year’s Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

WIGAN, England (Reuters) – Wigan Athletic will enjoy a moment of calm in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final as they take a break from their annual nail-biting relegation battle and steal the spotlight from their town’s more successful sports club.

The Premier League side take on Championship (second division) Millwall in the unusual position of being favourites in their first last-four appearance since they were founded in 1932.

WIGAN, England, April 10 (Reuters) – Wigan Athletic will enjoy a moment of calm in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final as they take a break from their annual nail-biting relegation battle and steal the spotlight from their town’s more successful sports club.

The Premier League side take on Championship (second division) Millwall in the unusual position of being favourites in their first last-four appearance since they were founded in 1932.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Manchester United on Monday was too little too late for manager Roberto Mancini who is already focusing his attention on next season’s title race.

Sergio Aguero’s outstanding 78th-minute winner allowed champions City to close the gap on their neighbours to 12 points but it was more of a ‘nice-to-have’ result than a fate-changing victory for this campaign.

MANCHESTER, England, April 8 (Reuters) – Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Manchester United on Monday was too little too late for manager Roberto Mancini who is already focusing his attention on next season’s title race.

Sergio Aguero’s outstanding 78th-minute winner allowed champions City to close the gap on their neighbours to 12 points but it was more of a ‘nice-to-have’ result than a fate-changing victory for this campaign.